Page 88 of Lost Girl

"It's not that I didn't want to do it. I told you this the last time we had this conversation. Kimi is tenacious as fuck and—"

"Language," he warns.

"C'mon, old man, don't start with that,” I snap. “I'm thirty-three years old."

"And I'm nearly fifty-five yet you don't see me cussing up a storm."

Don’t roll your eyes, don’t roll your eyes.

I don’t, exhaling a harsh breath instead. "Can we get back on topic, please?"

Dad holds my stare for a brief wordless moment, then gives a little tip of his head. "Kimi is stubborn, yes. Both Aiyana and I know that, but there has to be a way to ease her into this, to prepare her."

"Again, I can't help her if she won't let me. I'm not about to follow her around like a stray puppy begging her to listen to me when I have plenty of other things that require my attention."

"Something has to give. If she takes her own life, Tavi..." His gaze flickers off into the distance.

"I know, Pa. I know. That’s not something any of us want to see happen. It shouldn’t come to that. She was gifted the gene for a reason, meaning she can handle it. She just needs to believe that and remember there’s a purpose here." That’s not what he wants to hear. I can tell by the way his mouth immediately pops open to respond. I beat him to it, though, holding a hand up before continuing. “I’ll tell you what: You get her over here with her mother in tow and we can all sit down for a little chat. Perhaps with Aiyanaand youpresent as a buffer, she might be easier to get through to."

And that, friends, is what he wanted to hear. The way his shoulders sag in relief proves as much. "Thank you, my son. I'll talk to Aiyana about it and keep you posted. Are you still at Soren's?"

"We are, yes. The house is nearly done, though. Shouldn't be much longer before I can start furnishing."

"And the girl, she's still here?"

Something about “the girl” doesn’t sit right with me and it’s obvious in my tone. "That's why I saidwe.Yes, she's still here."

"Have you..?"

"Marked her?”

He nods.

“No."

"But you want to?"

Yes,but I won’t admit that. Not aloud anyway. "Maybe. I know you don't approve of her, but she makes me happy, Pa. She's a good girl, kind, funny, smart as a whip. She’snotPeter, not in any way, shape, or form."

"Your sister told me what she went through the morning you came clean. That had to have been an awful experience."

"It was, but she dealt with it like a champ."

My dad’s mouth twists with a soft smile, eyes crinkling at the corners. "Your face lights up when you talk about her, you know? I think you—"

"Don't.” I look away, shaking my head. “Don't say it."

"Why not? It’s the truth, isn’t it?”

"Because I have my reasons."

You can’t mark a woman who doesn’t call these lands her home.

* * *

I leftmy dad’s shortly after that. There wasn’t much left to say. He was going to talk to Aiyana about a joint meeting between the four of us and that was that. Yes, I could’ve used that opportunity to tell him more about Wendy, but for what? Just because Tigerlily shared with him some of what she’s been through doesn’t mean he’s going to accept her.

Pushing through the front door of Soren’s home, I find him already in the kitchen, cooking up a damn buffet. Given his lone state, I’m assuming Wendy’s still out like a light.

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